Spoiler Warning: Major spoilers for Spartacus: House of Ashur Episode 2 below. If you’re not caught up with this 2025 TV schedule release, please exercise caution.
Just like its predecessor, Spartacus: House of Ashur has wasted no time getting down and dirty with extreme levels of violence. Though the new spinoff has not quite reached the body count of the original series, it’s very much on its way after a very bloody second episode that featured one of the most gruesome TV deaths of all time, which CinemaBlend asked one of the show's stars about.
In the episode, series breakout star Tenika Davis’ Achillia attempts to find her place as the sole gladiatrix in Ashur’s gladiator camp. After two gladiators attempt to assault her in the dark of night, Achillia turns the tables, ripping one of her would-be attackers’ manhood in the process. It's quite a brutal moment, to say the least. Ahead of the show’s premiere, I asked Davis to describe her initial reaction to reading the scene, and she shared a keen perspective on how she viewed it:
When I read the scene, I never judged a character. So my question is always, how can I understand what would make a person do something like this? And when I really explored that, and I looked at what Achillia was going through and what she had to fight through to be able to break through on the other side; her reason why of having to get out of this world, I really understood how something like that would make sense for her in that moment. … She's unapologetic. She's not going to play a victim by any means at all.
I won’t give anything away about the fallout of Achillia’s actions, but I will say that this is just one of many powerful moments featuring Davis’ standout character. The series may be early into its run, but she's already proving to be a dynamic character with a lot of potential.
When I asked about Achillia’s journey from an enslaved Kushite warrior to a daring and empowering gladiatrix, Tenika Davis teased the character’s unapologetic nature and refusal to play the victim having a big part in her journey:
And she has that grit and that rawness about her and that ferociousness, you know, that in any circumstance that you put her in where there's an obstacle, she's going to find a way somehow with everything inside of her to be able to break through.
Being familiar with the franchise and the world of Spartacus, Davis knew going in that this was going to be a violent affair. Saying “all bets are off,” she was prepared for something unexpected, bloody, and bold.
That said, the Canadian actress admitted there were some scenes in a few episodes that led to jaw-dropping moments for the Jupiter’s Legacy alum:
I believe in a few episodes, I actually had a jaw-drop moment where I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ Some of the scenes and the way that Achillea fights for her survival, I think were the most surprising parts. I was like, ‘Whoa, she's going to do that now? Okay.’ It really let me know just how deep this character would go by any means necessary to define herself in this world.
Having already watched the first five episodes, I can say that Achillia’s journey does go to some violent yet also empowering places. That said, I cannot wait to see where this story goes as the season continues. With that, I'm also excited to see how Tenika Davis continues to settle into this excellent role.
Watch Spartacus: House of Ashur, or at least the first two episodes, right now on Starz. New episodes of the sword-and-sandal series will drop on Fridays through January on the 2026 TV schedule.
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